Call Upon The Darkness
by Funky In Fishnet
Summary: One man watches Bischoff & Evolution grow out of control. Silently, he gathers all the darkest wrestling figures to unite against this, fulfiling the prophecy said at his birth as he prepares for another time of reckoning.
1. Silence

Disclaimer: I own nothing. This was all brought about through one man's phenomenal presence. The words of the prophecy were the words to his entrance theme which I think are just amazing. Please let me know if you like it!  
  
**SILENCE**  
  
The rain fell in hard unrelenting drops. There was no where in the street to hide from it as it pounded down onto the pavements. The sky was a deep dark grey, lightning forking dramatically across its plain morbid scapes. Even the buildings seemed miserable in the weather's desolation.  
  
He watched from the open doorway of a warehouse, a black baseball bat clutched tightly in one hand. No one noticed him or his striking pale face which glared out through the darkness. They all kept their heads down as they walked, terrified of eye contact on such a dark dank day. He smirked. What a waste it was to be mortal, to feel such fear through their hot- blooded veins. What a waste it was not to enjoy a day like today when heaven opened up its gates for a brief time and let out the dirty water, not to enjoy the magnificence of a thunder storm splitting the sky open.  
  
He had other matters to concentrate on other than the glorious expanses of stormy scenery. He knew the time was coming again. He could hear the words vibrating in the air  
  
"_The battle between good and evil has begun_"  
  
Slowly he turned and walked back into the warehouse, the door shutting behind him on its own accord.  
  
"_Against an army of shadows comes a Dark Warrior_"  
  
It was his prophecy. They were the words he lived by. Ever since his transformation from a blonde brat punk from Venice Beach decked out in spangles to a brooding morose loner who skulked in the rafters, he had been unable to reverse what had begun. He could never turn back now. He was that Dark Warrior, called to turn the tide for good when empires lay in ruins. It was his life's work and he loved it, he lived for it. There was nothing else he would rather do. The words spoken at his birth and then at the past time of reckoning had sealed his tumultuous fate.  
  
"_The purveyor of good with a voice of silence and a mission for justice_"  
  
Silence  
  
He had kept silent for so long, forcing all those words back into his soul. He used to waste words but now he understood. When his soul reawakened to his calling, he could not speak. There were no words to describe his mission except those of the prophecy. He was not silent because of what the prophecy stated but rather because the whole experience had rendered him speechless. He was unable to communicate what stirred in his heart anymore. Silence was better. When words had to be spoken, they would be.  
  
Like when the others would join him for the gathering.  
  
The rain was falling harder now. He neatly dropped the bat to the floor, almost flinching at the loud clatter that resounded through the emptiness. Noise was unnecessary.  
  
There was a squawk and a large vulture with shining black feathers landed on his shoulder. It cocked its head at him and then squawked again. He reached a gloved hand up and stroked his feathers before it took flight again, freewheeling in lazy circles high above him before dropping onto a solid splintering rafter. He could feel the tension in the air. He wondered if the others were already moving across the plains of the rain-soaked Earth and moving towards this warehouse, this sacred ground. He could count them all in his head, some he had never met before. Only in his visions had he seen their faces as they looked towards him and listened to the messages the Powers brought.  
  
He could hear the glorious rain drench the outside world. Here he was kept dry, though the rain regenerated him. It was always a pleasure to stand in the rain and feel it reach his very core. Rain was good. He walked silently to the large ornate chair at one end of the warehouse, painted coal black, the same colour as his long dripping hair that hung just past his shoulders and writhing with serpentine patterns that made no sense to no one but him. He sat and he smiled. Soon they would arrive and then they could plan and plot to break down that demon's grip piece by piece before he choked the company, the business forever.  
  
"_This.....is.....Sting_" 


	2. Walker of the Night

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**WALKER OF THE NIGHT**  
  
The weather had died down slightly now. Sting had moved from the ornate throne and now sat in one of the vast gaping windows of the warehouse, looking out onto a dark forbidding world through eyes so black it appeared his pupils were all that existed in his entire painted face. Still he kept those patterns, black on white. Everyday he painted them, the sacred signs, scars of torment and inner justice. His vulture was circling overhead again, occasionally letting out a squawk as though to check it could still use its voice. Like its master, it was good at being silent and appearing when least expected.  
  
He could feel them edging closer, those who would join him for this dark gathering. He didn't know which states they were dragging themselves from to answer the call but he knew they were not all close. Some of them were faint pulses he could just about detect but he knew they were there. The first part of his prophecy took on another meaning again  
  
_"When a man's heart is full of deceit, it burns up, dies and a dark shadow falls over his soul. From the ashes of a once great man has risen a curse, a wrong that must be righted"_  
  
When those words were first spoken, no one knew who they applied to. It could have been anyone. But he was called to the wrestling world, a place that shaped him and a place he had to protect. Where so many people's lives were lost. When he was reawakened and heard the prophecy a second time, they applied to one of the greatest, Hulk Hogan. A man once beloved by fans as an iconic role model before burying his legacy by becoming the leader of the black and white New World Order, systematically destroying the company who had brought him back, WCW. That was when Sting was reawakened to his calling. He had disappeared. A face in the crowd, or looming in the rafters. He broke through the ring canvas or plummeted down from the ceiling on a wire. All the time, his intense eyes bored into Hogan, letting him know that he was coming to wipe him from WCW so that people could live again without the poison of the NWO killing it once and for all. The NWO's ranks swelled with wrestlers eager to stay on top while those loyal to WCW struggled to stay afloat. Sting would appear, swinging a bat silently to even the odds and sometimes save the day.  
  
He watched an empire fall to ruins and some of his friends succumb to the poisons. He saw them change without recognition into heartless cruel monsters. He had to learn to trust his enemies.  
  
He won the World title belt from Hogan but JJ Dillon proclaimed it a no contest after Bret Hart declared Sting the winner and demanded the belt back until a rematch could determine the true champion. It was then that Sting broke his year and a half long silence.  
  
"You've got no guts" he glared at JJ Dillon before addressing Hogan, pressing the business end of the bat against his rival's throat like a sword tip "and you? You're a dead man"  
  
Sting learned to trust no one. The only person he could rely upon was himself. In WCW you couldn't trust anyone. Friends were friends for a month, a week sometimes before turning their back on you in pursuit of the gold. It was all about the gold. That was where Sting was different. He was all about justice. Seeing his former friends like Randy Savage, Lex Luger, Kevin Nash turn into such heartless remorseless monsters tore his blackened soul in two. There was no one he could turn to and it made him stronger. It made him unbeatable. It buoyed him up as he took on the entire Hollywood NWO faction and beat them. It made him immoveable and a strong threat to everyone around him. He would tag team with people but would always keep one eye on his corner, waiting for that dagger to sink into his back.  
  
Lightning cracked outside, forking across the expanses of the grey skies. Then silence. Sting looked up, his eyes trained on the doors. He blinked and they opened without the aid of human hands. Against the ravaged background, a short distinct figure was outlined. It walked in and looked around, taking in the forbidding darkness that filled the warehouse. Then it noticed Sting, silhouetted against the deep grey of the skies and the rain coated window.  
  
"Greetings Dark Warrior" the figure said, the voice soft and sure "Greetings Walker of the Night" Sting replied, without a glance His voice was cracked and scratched, worm from lack of use. It held authority though and seemed seeped in sarcasm. The figure walked closer, his black boots sounded loudly on the concrete floor.  
  
"So this is where you haunt" he mused "I figured it wouldn't be a five-star hotel, maybe a graveyard is more your style"  
  
"I have a vulture not a crow"  
  
The figure laughed, the noise bounced off the walls.  
  
"And now you have a raven"  
  
Sting smiled, turning to take in the figure before him. The first to arrive. He was dressed in a red and black kilt that fell to his knees and an ornate gold and black jacket over a bare chest. His short black hair growing well after Father Mitchell shaved it off and two black make-up lines dragged down from his eyes. Those eyes were like dark pebbles and he gave an elaborate bow  
  
"At your service" he replied with a mocking smile "crows and ravens can fly together"  
  
Raven has not changed as far as Sting could see. He still held that dry mocking wit deep in his dark soul. He was a 16 year veteran of wrestling, a legend on the indie circuit and adored as a cult figure on the internet. He was full of darkness, visions of the future and a Messiah like quality. Wrestlers were drawn to him. Wherever he was in whatever federation, he created his own factions with barely any effort and a steely look in his eyes. He had power in him only he could describe. Yet even he fell behind the Dark Warrior. He was part of the dark gathering.  
  
"How's indie life treating you?" Sting asked, his voice low  
  
"The same as always, I still wait to fulfil my destiny and win the TNA title"  
  
There was a beat of silence as two warriors regarded each other through cherry black eyes and painted faces. So much history no one knew of. The two were connected and had only recently met face to face through the TNA which Sting joined briefly to test the waters. But he knew of Raven, felt his presence and saw him through visions. He knew he was one of the good guys, one for justice.  
  
"How did you know to come?" Sting asked suddenly  
  
"I saw the lightning crack" Raven replied, kicking aside some debris at his feet "and knew I was needed"  
  
"Another time of reckoning is upon us; my prophecy is to be fulfilled again"  
  
"What goes around comes around; it shall be fulfilled many times over before we are put into the ground"  
  
"The words have taken on another meaning" Sting got to his feet as he spoke "another curse has risen from the ashes, another wrong to be righted"  
  
The next part of his prophecy blossomed in his mind  
  
_"We look to the sky for a vindicator, someone to strike fear into the black hearts of the same men who created him"  
_  
"The black hearts of the same men who created me" he repeated aloud, his lips pursed in concentration "so many of them still alive"  
  
"So many for us to destroy" added Raven "each of them will be struck out as they destroy people's lives"  
  
"I am the Dark Warrior; I am the one who has to deal the blow"  
  
"And I am the Walker of the Night who walks by your side" added Raven "I will follow you wherever this takes you, that is my right and my calling"  
  
Sting nodded and jumped down from the window ledge, landing in a swish of black leather duster beside Raven who barely blinked at the sudden movement.  
  
"Do you know the name of the man we are called to stop?" Sting asked  
  
Raven smiled, a sudden dangerous ravenous smile  
  
"The demon who's entered our own little hotbed of hell" he replied "Eric Bischoff" 


	3. His People

Disclaimer: own nothing. Thanks for the support and reviews, I love you all. I hope this all fits with the featured characters. I love writing this story. I've been researching on the net so hope the facts all fit!! Enjoy  
  
**HIS PEOPLE**  
  
Bischoff  
  
The name spoke a thousand words to anyone who knew it. To the wrestlers who worked for him, he was either a tool for more money or the very bane of your existence. For the fans around the world who watched wrestling, he was the man who had the balls to go head to head against Vince Mcmahon and the WWE every Monday night with WCW Nitro and the man who disappeared after WCW was bought and then re-emerged on Raw as the new General Manager. Power mad, slimy and always trying to bed the women of the wrestling world or stay out of any physical altercation, Bischoff was a man once met or worked for and never forgotten.  
  
The warehouse was bathed in silence as both men thought over all the heinous acts Bischoff had committed. Power had driven him over the edge of reason more than once when he had network chief Ted Turner's chequebook to use at will. He had broken people's dreams and more often than not shattered their lives too. He was, and had been for a while, out of control and drunk on power.  
  
He needed to be taken out.  
  
"He truly fits your prophecy" mused Raven, turning to face Sting  
  
The Dark Warrior nodded, kicking more of the trash at his feet out of his path. He reached down and grasped the black ball bat he'd discarded prior to Raven's arrival. So much power  
  
"He always has done" he replied, eyes fixed on the ball bat "but do you know why now is the right time?"  
  
"Evolution" Raven replied simply  
  
Evolution. A faction so powerful and swollen with ego and money that they were tearing the WWE apart at its very seams. Made up of wrestling's past, present and future, it was deadly in his aim, accuracy and increasingly choking influence on the company. It reminded Sting burningly on the NWO and when he saw the few sparse superstars fighting to break through the hold Evolution had fixed on the company, it reminded him of himself as he fought for WCW against the NWO.  
  
"You know what powerful those four men hold" Sting continued, finally swinging his gaze towards Raven  
  
"I know what they can do with it, you know what a small band of greedy egotists can do if they have the supreme drive to do it" countered Raven "that's what surprises me about you Warrior, I know you need to wipe them out before the devil gets his grip on the company even more but you joined the NWO Wolfpac faction, you crossed the line"  
  
"Everyone did"  
  
There was a time when Sting gave up his morose brooding ways and painted his face red and black. He wore the NWO Wolfpac t-shirt and tag teamed with Luger and Nash again. He was part of a group. He was no longer the lone Dark Warrior fighting alone.  
  
"I was back with my friends again" he continued, his eyes seeing the past "once upon a time Luger and I were best friends before money got into his heart and the chance to be with him again and with Nash, it was an opportunity I had to take, despite all the betrayals, these were the empty shells of my former friends and in their eyes I saw them again as they were before the NWO"  
  
Raven nodded. He looked up as the vulture circled the ceiling again and cracked a bitter smile  
  
"I've been with others throughout my career, you know that Dark Warrior" he mused quietly "others who have followed me and my power and purpose, followed my teachings, it's a feeling you rarely forget and begin to crave, I see it as an opportunity to enlighten more people though they rarely understand why they're following me, they just know they want to"  
  
"We all want to be part of something Walker; it's just a question of choosing the right partners"  
  
Sting looked up as he spoke, eyeing the door. Lightning forked over the sky. After he nodded towards the doors, they creaked open loudly, revealing a pretty feminine figure. She strode in half-hesitantly. Spying the men standing up the window, she walked over.  
  
"Dark Warrior, Walker of the Night" she smiled "always a pleasure to see you both"  
  
"Under such circumstances as these maybe not" Sting replied "how have you been Shadows?"  
  
She stepped forward, a smile on her pretty face.  
  
"Good thank you, being by Raven's side is always an adventure"  
  
"You chose that long ago at summer camp"  
  
"Correction, Stevie chose it long ago for me and then I chose you again"  
  
Raven kissed Beulah, the woman who stood beside him. Her slim figure was clothed in a tartan skirt identical in pattern to Raven's kilt and a black sweater, her fair hair long and shining and her brown eyes as expressive and sparkling as before. Beulah had been the reason Raven and Tommy Dreamer fought for so long, eventually through a fake-pregnancy ruse and an affair with Kimona, Beulah turned on Raven to get to Tommy's side and then staying with Tommy until the Dudley's injured her neck so badly with a 3D she was forced to retire from wrestling. But Raven had been there through everything and helped her see her darkness, the way she was so drawn to him. It had scared her at first which was why she had forced herself away from him before realising her calling. She was a small fragile part of the dark gathering's make-up. There had been many women in Raven's life but Beulah had always stayed central.  
  
Sting nodded at the pair. Romance was something that had only fleetingly touched him during his long eventful life but now was no longer part of him. He could appreciate it in other people though and he saw the way the pair looked at each and what was reflected in their eyes. He could see that it made them stronger to have each other and to be in love.  
  
"Three" he said thoughtfully, tapping the end of the bat against his chin "there is one more to come before we make our way to the arena"  
  
"What are we going to do there?" Beulah asked  
  
"Talk to the person who made the call" answered Sting "they knew that justice had to be dealt out by the Dark Warrior and got in contact with me"  
  
"Are they part of the gathering?" Raven questioned as perceptive as always  
  
"Indeed" replied Sting smiling suddenly "they are part of our gathering"  
  
He turned to properly take in Beulah who looked questioningly at him  
  
"Are sure you want to do this Shadows?" he asked "The Walker is called to be by my side so he has told me and knows this is where he should be, are you sure with your neck so broken apart you should be here and in such a time of reckoning? I would understand if you wished to opt out of this mission"  
  
"I may not be you Dark Warrior with your quest for vengeance" Beulah began quietly "and I may not be the Walker with a call to walk with you but I am Shadows, I have a calling to seek the darkness and burn out the rotting parts of it, I have a calling to be part of this gathering, I tried staying away once and that resulted in tragedy, do you remember? I'm staying"  
  
"And you believe our mission is another answer to my prophecy?" Sting questioned again  
  
"Bischoff deserves all he gets" muttered Beulah, her eyes flashing angrily "what he's done to our business and the people! He's just.....just destroyed so many lives and now that Evolution have just taken over as well, the people left have little hope left"  
  
Sting smiled at the woman standing before him, indignation evident in her whole body. These were his people. The ones who didn't care about the money but cared about justice. They were the ones called to his side and to the gathering, the ones who knew how important this all was. The ones who believed in his prophecy and would back him up, their own dark powers untold to anyone else.  
  
Outside the lightning cracked again and the sky groaned. Sting looked up at the window. Time was running short. 


	4. All Kinds of Weather

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Cheers to all my reviewers and Sweet-Steffie, I'll try and not hurt Dave TOO much but I can't make no promises LOL :- ) There are references to comic books characters from X-Men, The Avengers, The Punisher and Justice League of America which I don't own but am simply a huge fan of.  
  
**ALL KINDS OF WEATHER  
**  
"The weather is certainly erratic tonight" Raven said softly, intertwining his hand with one of Beulah's as rain lashed against the wide window behind them "Nothing to do with you Shadows?"  
  
Beulah's powers were relatively untested outside of the gathering. When she joined ECW at the behest of Stevie Richards to help Raven incite rage from Tommy Dreamer, the physicality she became involved with unlocked her powers. Raven was the first to notice how the weather mirrored her moods and after a little gentle persuasion, introduced her to Sting when the gathering first met; strongly believing that Beulah was the next missing piece to their gathering. Sting had agreed, seeing the dark qualities that flowed through her veins. But Beulah had been scared by the movements she saw and the darkness she felt. Soon, she had torn herself away from the gathering, leaving her powers dormant. Until the call to be at Raven's side again was too strong to resist.  
  
"Me? Why would I do something like that?" Beulah replied, her voice all sweet innocence and purity as she comically raised her eyebrows  
  
"Because you can"  
  
"Well there is that......" Beulah smiled wickedly "but don't start calling me Storm"  
  
"Storm? No, you are more of The Black Canary"  
  
"The Black Canary? Hmmmmmm" Beulah pretended to think though secretly she was flattered by such a favourable comparison "yeah I can see that, the chick kicks ass kung-fu style and I get that scream that disables anything or anyone"  
  
She didn't add that by strange coincidence, two men fought over the Black Canary when the Justice League and the Avengers met up; her boyfriend Green Arrow and Hawk-eye. She doubted that this facet of Canary's life story failed to add to Raven's choice for her considering that his feud with Tommy literally started at summer camp over how to treat her.  
  
"So who does that make you if we're talking comic books?" she asked, leaving her thoughts unsaid  
  
"I'm the Walker of the Night a comic book unto himself" Raven shrugged beneath Beulah's expectant gaze "OK, Pyro from the X-Men"  
  
Beulah nodded her agreement. Pyro was hot-headed and was completely sure that his path to victory was the right one, despite the casualties. Pyro was very much Raven in a nutshell. She turned to focus on Sting as he stared at the door now, intent on tracking down their last missing member  
  
"Who would you be Warrior?" she asked quietly, wanting to included him in their light friendly banter  
  
Sting jerked and looked at her questioningly.  
  
"Which comic book character would you be?" Beulah tried again "apparently I'm Black Canary from the Justice League and Raven's Pyro"  
  
"The Punisher" Sting replied shortly  
  
"Fits" replied Beulah thoughtfully "a quest for vengeance through the darkest of times, yes you truly are the Punisher"  
  
The doors slammed open with a force not used before and again, it wasn't by human hands. The figure was tall and intimidating. Slowly he walked into the warehouse, directly towards Sting. Sting held his ground, knowing that the person standing before him was one of the darkest of all of them. He was painted with a tar black soul that would remain unchanged no matter his outside demeanour that seemed to change so often. The one they had been waiting for.  
  
"Desperado" spoke Sting respectfully but firmly "I was hoping that you would answer the call"  
  
"How could I refuse you Dark Warrior?" the voice was deep and gravelly with a hint of mocking sarcasm twisting round the words "since I know that you never use the call for a mere whim but for the purpose of vengeance"  
  
"Then you're ready to help us destroy Bischoff?"  
  
"Whenever you give the word"  
  
The figure stepped forward again to underline his words and The Undertaker smiled in the dim light. He wore all black; leather pants and a singlet with a long leather duster over it all. His hair was covered by a large black hat and his face was an unearthly pale. He was perhaps the darkest of all of them, having crawled through hell several times to achieve rebirth. He may have held unmentionable power but knew that the Dark Warrior held precedence over himself and was content to take a slight backseat in the gathering.  
  
"It's good to see you Desperado" Beulah spoke up in the quiet  
  
Raven simply nodded at the other man who nodded back, his blackened eyes trailing over the couple before realighting on Sting who watched them all out of his ageless eyes. They were all together again, his precious gathering of his own people. Each one imbued with different shades of darkness and slightly differing powers. They were the right ones to be by his side as he tackled Bischoff's rotting soul.  
  
"So are we all agreed?" he asked, slowly locking eyes with each of his comrades  
  
"Take down Bischoff and Evolution" summarised Beulah  
  
"Stop them choking the life out of our business" added Raven  
  
"And split their broken carcasses so that all the evil can travel back to hell" finished off Undertaker, his eyes morbid and soulless  
  
Sting nodded, shouldered his bat and began walking towards the doors. There was no need for words. The others followed the immortal Warrior at a respectful distance. They knew that this was a long slog for him, to go back where everything had ended for him. To be in the hallowed halls of a WWE arena where he never ventured when actively wrestling.  
  
Outside a large black pick-up truck waited. The rain still fell in torrents around them, soaking their clothes and their skin. Sting looked up and smiled, not minding that the rain mercilessly washed off his face paint. He turned and nodded his thanks at Beulah who gave a small bow in return. The rain eased off around the quartet, allowing them to make their way into the pick up truck. Sting slid into the driver's seat, Undertaker rode shotgun and Beulah and Raven slid in snugly behind them. It was cramped but no one complained; space was a luxury they never allowed for themselves. Stealth never allowed it either.  
  
The engine revved and slowly the truck slid out from in front of the warehouse and began its journey.  
  
"There's a map of the area in the glove compartment" Sting said, his eyes glued to the road  
  
Undertaker flicked a hand towards the compartment and it opened with a quiet submissive snap. Carefully he pulled the crumpled folded map out and unfolded it so he could fully tell what was drawn out before him.  
  
"You need to take the next left and keep on straight, its sign-posted from there on in" he atoned before neatly folding the map back into the compartment.  
  
They rode in silence, the rumble of the engine and continual pounding of the rain on the vehicle and the world outside filling the time. It was totally completely comfortable. Sting allowed himself only to look at the road ahead. He had a mission to complete, a prophecy to fulfil. These people, his people, his gathering, team-mates, comrades. They were something and they were his back-up. They cared enough about the state of the business they had all given their lives to at sometime or another and enough about him, their own Dark Warrior, to risk entering a WWE arena full of trigger-happy security and locker rooms full of loyal WWE wrestlers. This was bigger than broken bones and black eyes; this was something that could totally change the business for the better. Bischoff would have to be flushed out like a rat in a hole or if not, then drug out and beaten senseless before taking a one-way trip to the nearest hospital. Either way, there would be some action.  
  
He could feel the four hearts in the truck beating as one. They were all totally different people but they were united to one cause and under one leader, him. There were no authority problems, only obedience and an input of everyone's ideas. So formed from the darkness they were, it was inevitable that they would come together under one banner. The gathering, the Dark Warrior's missionaries.  
  
The arena came into sight, a looming hunk of brick with a flashing sign in neon above it. 'WWE RAW TONIGHT, ALL SOLD OUT!!'. Sting neatly pulled into the nearest available space and turned off the engine. There was silence as all four observed the building in front of them, knowing what was waiting beyond the security guards and the heavy double doors. Sting turned around to Beulah  
  
"Ease off the ran Shadows"  
  
She nodded, a smile on her face at his faded face paint. Slowly the rain began to ease off and then it stopped, nothing but drips from trees and sunlight struggling through the thick cloud cover. Sting turned back and neatly pulled down the visor mirror. In silence and under three watchful pairs of eyes, he reapplied his face paint, white and black with hidden meanings. His signs to the world of his inner struggle. He stared into the mirror when he was finished. A ghoulish pale face stared back at him, eyes so dark that they practically disappeared and didn't exist. His inside turned inside out. The way he was made to be.  
  
Slowly he turned to observe the people sat in the truck with him. The Undertaker, so dark and rich in hell's history that he rarely spoke since his most recent rebirth after his burial at the hands of his demonic half brother. Raven, willing to sacrifice his Messiah-like followings to follow the Dark Warrior himself and help deal out dark justice to those who deserved it most. And Beulah, so strong and fragile at the same time, controlling the very elements at her fingertips with a sweet innocent smile and a dark bitchy heart. Perfect in every single way.  
  
His people  
  
"We find the contact first" Sting spoke, his voice still creaking from unuse "then we plan to take apart Bischoff piece by piece"  
  
Without another word, he threw open the door and strode out into the sunshine. 


	5. Its Everywhere

Disclaimer: I own nothing; thanks for the lovely reviews you lot really keep me going you know that??  
  
**ITS EVERYWHERE**  
  
The security guard raised his eyebrows at the strange looking group moving towards him. None of them looked familiar except the tall broad guy and he couldn't properly place him since his facial features were hidden by a large black hat. They looked like wannabe wrestlers, the type who always showed up at arenas desperate for their shot at a wrestling career. One had his face all painted black and white, a black ball bat over one shoulder all decked out in black, one guy was shorter and looked like he'd dressed in the dark in a kilt and a Chinese-style jacket and a girl in a kilt looking like the wind would blow her away. The guard stood up a little straighter and tried to look his intimidating best as the group got closer. No one else was nearby, it was hours before the show would start and the talent were safe inside, finding rooms to stash their gear in and stretch out before they found out who their opponents were so they could begin to prepare and ward off any sneak pre-match attacks.  
  
"I'm sorry, there's no admittance to fans until 6pm" the guard said firmly as the group approached the doors  
  
"We're not fans" the woman said, smiling a friendly smile "we're here to see the talent, we're expected"  
  
"Friends? Then can I have your names please?" the guard asked, pen posed to mark off their names on his clipboard  
  
The tall broad man stepped forward and the guard watched as the man raised his head, revealing a stony expression and dark forbidding eyes  
  
"Undertaker? Wh-What are you doing here?..........Smackdown don't usually come to the same arenas" the guard stammered, flustered by the appearance of the silent legend  
  
Undertaker raised a pale hand sheathed in a black fingerless leather glove to the guard's temple and touched it butterfly-light. The guard crumpled to the ground. Sting stepped over the form, pushed the doors open with his bat and walked into the arena. The others followed silently, Raven being unable to resist giving the guard a small light kick in the side as he did. Once inside, Sting turned to Undertaker who was looking around with the air of someone who was back in a poisonous environment. His nostrils flared as he scoped out the empty corridor, his eyes half-narrowed as though trying to identify something.  
  
"You can sense Bischoff?" Sting asked  
  
"His stench is everywhere" replied Undertaker in that curious rumble of a voice "it cannot be escaped or eradicated easily" he turned suddenly to Sting "would you like me to locate your contact?"  
  
Sting knew that Undertaker had already worked out who the contact was. His powers lay in the very environment he found himself in, he was able to mould it to suit himself but most of all was able to manipulate the people in it for his own advantage. It was a great and destructive power which Undertaker had lost and gained several times over through his continual burials and rebirths. There was a time when he'd allowed his powers to take him over, they engulfed him and he forged alliances with the Vince Mcmahon, kidnapping Vince's daughter Stephanie in order to get to Stone Cold Steve Austin. His powers has totally taken him over, breaking him down from the inside so he'd managed to pull himself away and purged himself of them in the desert. After a few years of fighting without them, he'd been buried by his demonic half-brother Kane, allowing the powers to slowly seep back into him. Now he merely used it for the way it was meant to be used, to help bring the right people to justice. Sting knew that Undertaker was filled with a great sense of justice now, determined to do what was right as the Dark Warrior felt guided since he now knew he could never be separated from his powers again.  
  
Undertaker raised his hand again, holding the palm up flat against the air. The air seemed to tingle  
  
"Left, then the first corridor on the left, the second room along" Undertaker said  
  
Sting nodded, shouldering his bat. Undertaker would rarely be wrong about something like this and they couldn't afford to burst in on someone who wasn't the contact. Then the element of surprise was all gone. Undertaker opened his eyes and breathed out one long cool breath.  
  
"Bischoff's stench, its coating everything I can feel" he said, eyes flickering around "I cannot pinpoint its exact source but we are going to need to be on edge, his cronies haunt every corner in order to maintain some semblance of control"  
  
Raven and Beulah immediately separated and stood a little way behind Undertaker and Sting with their backs to them, eyeing the corridor now before them with a vigorous intensity. They planned on letting no one ruin the Warrior's meeting with the contact. Sting and Undertaker stared straight ahead, hearing the noises of people moving in and out of rooms but seeing no one.  
  
"Can you sense them?" asked Sting  
  
Undertaker nodded slowly, closing his eyes again.  
  
"They're up ahead but I do not think our paths will cross" he replied quietly "if we move quickly, no one will know"  
  
"Walker, Shadows keep it tight at the back" Sting ordered "if anyone approaches us then take care of it, no one must know we are here"  
  
"Got it" Beulah replied, turning so that she was facing the front again as Raven swung round as well.  
  
They began moving, together in a tight pack. If anyone had seen them, they would have seen four very different people with the same determined look in their steely eyes. Sting hefted his bat onto his other shoulder, looking around continually as they hung a left into the first corridor. The four moved, breathed as one, completely in step with one another. He was proud of synchronisation; it was almost like a machine but with living breathing souls. Quickly they arrived at a door. Sting raised a black-gloved fist and knocked on it. This was it. The beginning of the whole rampage, the next fulfilment of his prophecy.  
  
There was a short taut pause and then there was the sound of a lock being undone. Then the door slowly opened. Sting hesitated only a short moment, the thought of a pre-planned ambush going through his mind before stepped through into the locker room. One by one, the other three followed making sure to shut the door behind them. They stood, looking at the person who had called them all to the arena, the one who knew that Bischoff had to be stopped.  
  
Before them stood Victoria. 


	6. A Waiting Game

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Many thanks to my reviewers, its incredible to get such a response about this small story which I wrote purely because it had to be written. I'm glad others are enjoying the journey too  
  
**A WAITING GAME**  
  
Sting's eyes bored into the woman who stood before them. She was encased in tight black pants and a black backless top, her hair raven-black flowed down past her shoulders to nearly her waist. She had her arms wrapped around herself and she was shaking almost violently. Her eyes were unsteadily focusing on each person in the room. Darkness, mania, psychosis and pure strength swirled around her like a particularly strong perfume. He wondered what her true name was, the one that was given to her as part of the gathering, the dark children who knew their true purpose like he and his gathering did. Then it came to him.  
  
"Hex Priestess" he said firmly "why have you called us here tonight?"  
  
Victoria turned her head to look at him  
  
"Bischoff is saying things I can't solve" she muttered almost incoherently "I know you're the ones, the ones who can s-s-solve this"  
  
Suddenly she stopped shaking and stared straight ahead. Something crackled in the air and a translucent image appeared before the group. Victoria clutched her head, her mouth open in a high-pitched scream that the others flinched at before finally slowing into heavy exhausted breathing. The image began to move as though it were a movie screen. It was Bischoff's office and the General Manager himself was stood taking a cell-phone call before the members of Evolution filed in.  
  
"I'm glad you could all make it gentlemen" Bischoff began "I trust the locker rooms were up to standard"  
  
"As always" confirmed Randy with a smirk "just right for a legend killer such as myself"  
  
"How are the plans going?" Triple H, always business first, asked  
  
"Its getting complex paper wise but I think I have a good grip on it" Bischoff replied "it won't be long before everything is prepared"  
  
"Keep us posted" Flair instructed as he handed a fat envelope from the inside of his suit jacket to the grinning GM "and we'll make it worth your while"  
  
With that the members of Evolution disappeared from the office and the image slowly melted away. Everyone looked at Victoria as she gasped for air, one arm around her stomach. Slowly she shook her head as though she'd been given a hard knock and was trying to silence the ringing and then stood up straight. She smiled and Sting noticed all the shaking and disorientated eye contact was gone.  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you Dark Warrior" she said, holding out a hand to shake "I'm fully prepared to do whatever it takes to bring Bischoff down"  
  
"What happened just now?" Sting asked, keeping his eyes on her "what was the image we saw? Something you created in your mind or something that really happened?"  
  
Victoria looked at him quizzically and for the first time seemed to notice the others present in the room as well. She nodded to each of them  
  
"My powers do that to me Warrior" she said at last "when I first came here, they took me over completely and I couldn't stop shaking, I was overtaken with psychosis but eventually I was able to get them just about under control so I don't shake so much anymore"  
  
"What do your powers do?" asked Undertaker  
  
"Visions" Victoria answered, looking straight at the Undertaker "visions of things that are happening right now, I see them and if I want I can project them like I just did, that was for your benefit, I thought you might find that meeting useful"  
  
"You have a split personality" spoke up Raven "interesting"  
  
"Not so much split as different" corrected Victoria, glancing at him "the powers affect me and give me visions and when they're over, it goes back to the way it was before"  
  
Sting nodded slowly, taking her in. She was a definite part of the gathering; darkness was a permanent part of her that he could determine easily. She was also very much alone, a characteristic trait of those who walked in the darkness unless you were Raven who drew people to him like iron shavings to a magnet  
  
"These are the rest of the gathering, most of whom you are acquainted with" he said at last "Desperado, Shadows and Walker of the Night"  
  
Victoria looked at each on intently then she nodded satisfied  
  
"Yes, I see them" she murmured "have you any idea of how you're going to stop Bischoff?"  
  
"That's what we are here to decide" Undertaker spoke up  
  
"Kill him and bury the body" Raven suggested with a comical smirk causing Beulah to roll her eyes  
  
"I think we're in need of something a little more practical" she replied  
  
"Evolution need to be taken care of also" Undertaker said "they are pouring money and ego into this as well, if we cut off the source then we can stop the problem"  
  
"But what exactly are they planning to do?" asked Beulah  
  
Victoria sighed and shook her head  
  
"I don't know, I've been trying to get to the bottom of it but there's no one talking backstage" she replied, raking a hand through her shimmering hair "Bischoff's planning something, something big, its going to choke the company and maybe even reach out to the indie organisations as well, the ones who survive how they can"  
  
Sting watched Raven's eyes fill with fire. He survived off the indies, it was how he made his money and fuelled the darkness inside of him. The indies were what counted for him and all the people who had followed him, drawn to his mysterious personality and darkness within. The indies were his life's blood which kept him going and if Bischoff and Evolution's choke hold got into the indies then they'd have a very pissed off Raven to answer to. Beulah would not take it lightly either. The indies kept their friends from ECW in the business they loved with the same fans who supported them all those years continuing to help them. The indies could not die otherwise they would die with it, their powers fading into the ground.  
  
"If Bischoff's power even touches the indies, you will find him with his heart ripped out within a week" Raven said quietly and seriously "he cannot be allowed to continued in that manner"  
  
"Evolution need to be dealt with as well" Beulah put in "I think Desperado's right, they are the source so we need to cut them off while we still can"  
  
"What do you suggest?" asked Sting  
  
"We know they have a weakness for women" put in Victoria "if Shadows is willing, I can get her in on one of their evenings out, maybe she can pick their pockets"  
  
"And if they try anything, I can knock them out" Beulah added "if you guys are too worried, you can tail me all night"  
  
Sting nodded. The last comment was directed firmly at Raven who nodded, his emotions neatly packed away behind his icy eyes. It was a good suggestion. The girls could get closer since they were seen as less of a problem by the womanising Evolution. Fools. The mind games could begin that night. He could feel the Powers prickling at his mind, trying to tell him something. His prophecy was going to be fulfilled once more. The fire inside of him smouldered fiercely at the thought, justice would soon be dealt.  
  
"We can begin to pay Bischoff some visits" he said slowly "Priestess, visit his office, ask him for a match, gather paperwork, any information will be useful at this time"  
  
"It's done" she replied with a nod  
  
"We need to find an empty locker room" Sting addressed the rest of the room "do you share this with anyone else?"  
  
"It used to be with Molly and Gail but no, no one shares with me now"  
  
"Then we will set up base here, Desperado, I need you to begin scouring the backstage area, walk around and see what you can dig up exactly, no one will question your presence" Sting issued, leaning on his bat "the rest will begin to think of ways we can extract information, once we have a clear idea of what Bischoff and Evolution are doing then we can begin to destroy them" 


	7. Sign

Disclaimer: I own nothing – wow thanks for the reviews. LOL ok I guess I owe u guys some payoff huh? I know this isn't much action but it really satisfied me writing it. If u don't understand the significance of what happens then let me know and I'll explain prior to the next chapter. Enjoy!  
  
**SIGN  
**  
It was a good night for Eric Bischoff. Evolution had dropped off a substantial sum of cash which allowed him to continue to furnish his family in the lifestyle they were accustomed too. It also meant he could think about stealing more Smackdown talent from that rookie GM Kurt Angle. Bischoff rubbed his hands together, yes tonight really was a good night  
  
Knock knock  
  
"Come in" he replied, beginning to write a match down on a booking sheet  
  
Victoria slowly entered the room, shutting the door firmly behind her. She managed to look both controlled and penitent, her hands twisted into a fleshy knot in front of her. Bischoff looked up and smiled at the sight of the beautiful diva  
  
"Victoria! What a pleasant interruption! What can I do for you?" he asked, leering slightly  
  
"I was hoping for a match Mr Bischoff" she replied "with that bitch Gail Kim, she-she's been bullying me! Making me tap out like that!"  
  
"Ahhhh Miss Kim" sighed Bischoff, allowing his mind to wander before appropriately remembering who was stood in front of him "well I'm sure she'd like the challenge, as long as you're too hard on her, I don't like them too bruised""  
  
Victoria nodded and carefully began looking around the GM's neat office as Eric began writing out a match form. There was an intriguing filing cabinet against one wall as well as the neat stacks of papers and files on his desk. She had to find a way to get him out of the room, leaving her time to rifle through everything before he got back. It didn't take long to work out Eric's weak spot; it was either power, money or women as he'd so aptly demonstrated. Victoria smiled, took a quick cleansing breath and honed in.  
  
"Actually Eric, I think I heard Gail talking about you earlier" she said  
  
"Really?" Eric looked up immediately interested "anything I should know about?"  
  
"Oh I think she wants to see you again, in fact Molly should be out getting her new wig fixed so Gail'll be all alone in that locker room, perfect time to pay a visit don't you think?"  
  
Eric smiled and quickly signed the match paper in front of him.  
  
"I knew there was a reason I liked you Victoria" he exclaimed, getting to his feet "consider your match official and sanctioned, you and Gail will fight mid-card tonight, now if you'll excuse me I have some business to attend to"  
  
"I'll let myself out"  
  
Eric didn't reply as he rushed out of the room. Victoria smiled to herself, knowing that she wouldn't see Bischoff for at least fifteen minutes. She locked the door so that no one could walk in and catch her snooping and crossed the room rapidly to the filing cabinet. She wasn't exactly sure what she was looking for but she knew she had to find something that indicated what sort of scheme Bischoff and Evolution were concocting.  
  
As she began rifling through Eric's meticulously kept files, she suddenly starting shaking. She gasped, stepping back from the filing cabinet with an arm wrapped around her stomach. A vision was coming. She hoped it was short and important.  
  
She saw the Undertaker walking slowly through the corridors, staring straight ahead. He was looking at and sensing everything. Then he stopped and looked almost directly at her. A burning pain surged through her forehead, causing her to shriek. This had never happened before to her.  
  
"I feel your presence Hex Priestess" he atoned "Evolution are strangely quiet, something is rumbling beneath this surface, I feel Bischoff's stench everywhere still, his grip grows stronger, good luck"  
  
And then he was gone. Victoria let out a huge breath and straightened herself out. She had a task to do without worrying about abdominal pain. Quickly she went back to going through Eric's files. There was nothing useful to her, all files on every Raw rostered superstar; their win-loss records, their strengths and weaknesses, tag team partners and enemies, titles won and lost. Everything carefully recorded. Victoria raised her eyebrows. Eric may act like he didn't care about his superstars but he sure kept a real close eye on them since the records were flawless.  
  
Quickly she moved to the desk, conscious of her time. She knew that Gail would willingly screw Eric if she thought it would get her better bias matches and further her career and Eric would take all he could get. She just didn't know how long they'd have before Molly got back and caught them. She began sorting through the papers on the desk, careful to not disorganise the arranged piles.  
  
"Financial records" she muttered under her breath "Bischoff's been putting huge amounts into his account and then taking equally huge amounts out as well"  
  
She rapidly folded the paper and slipped it under her top before continuing her search. Soon in a space of a few brief minutes, there were no more piles to search through. Then her eyes lighted on a memo pad. Hastily she flipped through it until she came to a page with a note scrawled on in Bischoff's distinctive handwriting  
  
"Contact former charges, get account numbers, input money, arrange meeting with lawyers"  
  
Former charges? Victoria wondered if that alluded to WCW wrestlers or former WWF wrestlers who'd been fired by him. Either way they'd mostly be bitter and angry about Bischoff so why would he contact them? Something was not quite right. Victoria ripped the sheet off and tucked it under her top with the other papers. Realising with a quick glance at her wrist watch that she was pushing her time, she did a quick tidy-up on the desk and made sure she closed the filing cabinet properly. She was fairly confident that if Bischoff made his way back to his office sometime soon, a vision would kick in. Everything was back in its place. And she had just enough time to leave a little inspired present that Sting had instructed her to leave.  
  
Bischoff whistled cheerfully under his breath as he made his way back to his office. It was nearly show time and he'd already booked several matches he knew would keep the fans happy as well as satisfy his own revenge tactics. How good it was that he could exercise his power to humiliate the ones who defied him. A security guard had intercepted him on the way back as well, saying that one of their guards had been found knocked out and claimed that the Undertaker was at the arena with some mysterious unrecognisable friends. Bischoff had shrugged; it was more than likely that Undertaker was back for more revenge on Kane. They could tear each other apart for all he cared. Maybe Undertaker would even sign for Raw, now that would be a coup. Add to that a good session with Gail Kim, on the condition that her matches would indeed be booked in her favour and the one with Victoria tonight was a no-disqualification match, and it was enough to put Bischoff in a permanently good mood. He reached his office and found the door neatly closed.  
  
The office was empty. It seemed that Victoria had taken off just after he'd left. Bischoff smirked to himself as he made his way back to his desk. Victoria certainly was delicious to look at; he hadn't asked her if she wanted a career boost yet. Since she'd dumped that loser Stevie Richards she'd certainly upped her game in the ring. Not that Eric cared. As long as the girls showed their tits and ass then who cared what they did in the ring?  
  
Quickly he shuffled through the piles on his desk to find more booking sheets. That's when he noticed one of his piles, right near the top, move. He frowned, maybe he imagined it. No, a few papers moved again. Maybe there a breeze or air from his office fan but this movement was more deliberate, like something was_ under_ the paper. Bischoff snorted. Now he was getting paranoid. He reached a hand over and plucked the top paper off the pile.  
  
_"Hisssssssssssss"_  
  
He recoiled almost violently, slamming his wheeled chair up against the wall. There crawling among his meticulous pile of unused booking sheets was a coal black scorpion. Bischoff gulped and reached for the office phone. Who would leave a scorpion in his office? Who would go to all that trouble? Scorpion poison was deadly wasn't it?  
  
"Just one of the boys having a joke" he muttered as he dialled for security so that they could get rid of it "nothing serious, just a joke and no one will know about it"  
  
But he eyed the scorpion doubtfully as he spoke to security and in the corridor outside, cold pale eyes blinked and an uneven smile spread over a well-worn face. Undertaker silently moved down the hallway, to tell Sting all that had happened. 


	8. Old Rivals

Disclaimer: I own nothing I swear. Your reviews are great so thanks so much!! They really buoy me up. Enjoy!  
  
**OLD RIVALS**  
  
It was all a question of waiting. Sting smiled as he shifted his ball bat to his other hand. Patience had gotten him a long way in life. He'd kept himself silent for a year and a half, being patient, waiting for the right time and the right words to come. When they had, they were clear, powerful and succinct. His reward for being patient.  
  
Raven sat cross-legged on the floor, a worn black notebook in one hand and Beulah lying full length on her back beside him, her head pillowed in his lap. Her eyes stared at the non-descript ceiling, seeming to find something fascinating in the mundane. They sat silently, so in-tune with the other's breathing and thinking patterns. Like two parts melded into one by contact, one person one mind functioning in two. Sting observed them through his blackened eyes. Raven seemed not to blink, his eyes completely focused on the notebook in his hand as he read through what was written there silently, his other hand gently stroking through Beulah's honeyed hair. Beulah herself had fixed her eyes still on the ceiling, seeming to see something there no one else could. Sting suspected that it was more likely she was staring at the sky, trying to piece together the weather that was there.  
  
The door swung open and Victoria walked in, a wide smile on face.  
  
"Mission accomplished Warrior" she exclaimed joyfully "your gift was dropped off as planned and I managed to get a few papers which may help somewhat in discovering what Bischoff and Evolution are planning"  
  
"The scorpion scared Bischoff" a new voice spoke up as Undertaker walked into the room "he is currently attempting to convince security that it was just one of the boys pulling a prank"  
  
Sting smiled  
  
"Pleasing news" was all he said "what papers did you find Priestess?"  
  
She pulled the papers from under her top and handed them over to Sting. He carefully unfolded them, scanning them quickly before raising an eyebrow at Victoria, asking for further explanation.  
  
"He's been given large sums of money and been taking them out again and the memo pad note, it makes me think he's been contacting old employees" Victoria recounted "but what I can't work out is who out of all his old employees would want to talk to him, I mean they pretty much all hated him? right?"  
  
"Eric did not make friends" replied Sting, his mind back to WCW in a whirl of colours and angry harsh words "he broke people and spoiled their dreams while showering money on those at the top to keep them locked in contracts"  
  
"Did you get some good money?" asked Beulah from her position on the floor, her head tilted slightly towards him  
  
"Eric provided.........generous compensation for my presence there" answered Sting, his eyes on the past "money for my silence and my loyalty to his stinking company, I was not loyal to him, I was loyal to the fans who had remained with me for so many years, I could not leave and break their hearts"  
  
Raven nodded slowly, raising his eyes finally from his notebook  
  
"I know loyalty" he uttered "I've had fans who have followed me since I first was born in ECW and they still adore me now in the TNA, it is hard to do things which you know will hurt them deeply but sometimes they have to be done"  
  
"But sometimes they cannot be allowed to happen" countered Sting  
  
"So Eric is giving money to these old comrades of your's Warrior?" suggested Beulah  
  
"Could be" replied Sting "But why would they take his money and what does Evolution have to do with it?"  
  
"If you want to catch some meat, I believe Evolution will be walking along this corridor in a few moments and we may be able to intercept them" Undertaker said quietly "though I do advice that Shadows remains unseen as then she can approach them tonight without being recognised and attacked"  
  
"Agreed" said Beulah  
  
"Ready for a fight Walker?" asked Sting, getting to his feet as a hint of a smile touched his lips  
  
"Always Dark Warrior"  
  
Undertaker opened the door, allowing the other two men to step outside. Victoria stepped outside after them, clutching a black cap and dull jacket in her hand. As they began walking, she tucking her thick mane of black hair securely under it and pulled the jacket on over her clothes. If she could help it, she would remain anonymous. They walked side by side, unrecognisable to anyone who met them yet they appeared an unnerving unknown quartet of dark brooding silence.  
  
"Get a load of this bunch of freaks" a mocking voice spoke behind them  
  
Slowly all four of them turned, Victoria's head dipped so that they could not see her face. Evolution stood sneering before them. That is, until Flair caught sight of Sting. At the sight of his long-term nemesis he paled considerably  
  
"Sting? What the hell are you doing here? Last I heard you were in the TNA with him" Flair asked astonished, gesturing to Raven  
  
"Sting? As in WCW's Sting?" Triple H said, surprise colouring his voice "never thought you'd show your face in a WWE arena"  
  
"Sometimes, drastic times call for drastic measures correct?" Sting asked, his ball bat in one hand and his eyes on Flair  
  
"But what would be so drastic as to make you show your face here?" persisted Flair urgently  
  
"Shadow games and dark rebellion" Sting answered, his tone rich and scratchy  
  
"Hey! I recognise you; you were the legend of WCW" Randy Orton, young arrogant and brash, spoke up "well you're talking to a bonefide legend and legend killer right here"  
  
"Oh really?" Sting's sparse words were coloured with mocking "I was not sure how to address one so young and arrogant but now I know"  
  
Randy smirked at the man before him and ran a hand over the shining gold championship belt which was draped over one of his shoulders. It was clear that he saw no threat standing before him  
  
"Taker what are you doing here?" asked Flair, now addressing the cold silent legend  
  
"Keeping a friend company" was the only rumbling answer he got  
  
"Well do you have a purpose here?" asked Triple H "because quite frankly, we're sick of dealing with washed out losers, has-beens and never-weres"  
  
"You will find out" replied Sting  
  
"How about we just deal with them now?" suggested Randy, a bored tone to his voice  
  
"I'm down with that" spoke by Batista, for the first time  
  
The two younger members of Evolution leapt towards the silent quartet as they spoke. Randy managed to knock Victoria to the ground and began smashing punches into her fallen figure. Victoria fought off approaching nausea and kicked him hard with her long legs before catching him with a hard punch the jaw. Batista had gone straight for Raven who with his smaller stature seemed the easiest target. He swung with a powerful punch only to miss and receive a rain of hard fists in his back. Raven smirked to himself as the large man swung around to try and deal with him. This was a mission that suited him fine.  
  
Sting meanwhile had kept his eyes on the two elder members of Evolution. Flair was staring at him wide-eyed, completely taken aback with his presence there. Flair knew him well, he knew how Sting thought. He knew it would have to be a pretty hefty reason for him to be present in the arena. Therefore he knew it had to be something to do with them. He knew who his strange group of people were here to deal with. And it frightened him. With a mirthless smile, Sting slowly dropped his black duster to the floor and began to walk towards Flair. He wore black pants and a black singlet adorned with his white scorpion symbol, matching his black and white face. His vigilante gear, the ones that made him blend perfectly with the shadows. His eyes focused totally on Flair  
  
Flair could hold the key to everything. It was no secret that he was the brains behind Evolution.  
  
Triple H frowned, realising Sting's intent and after a few split seconds of decision making, he began running towards the approaching Warrior. Without the need for any effort, Sting struck the wrestler down with a hard blow with his ball bat to the head. Triple H lay on the ground groaning, trying to fight unconsciousness. Undertaker stepped towards him  
  
"I'll deal with the man down" he spoke quietly  
  
Sting nodded and continued on his path towards Flair. Flair looked petrified; he was not dressed for fighting in his neat blue suit. He was dressed for doing deals and getting his men to the top. His days of ruling the ring were over but apparently not over behind the scenes nor from want of trying. Sting slowed as he appeared in front of him.  
  
Raven blocked a punch but received a nasty kick to his mid-section instead. Batista smiled at the caused pain and swung Raven neatly into a slam onto the cold harsh floor. Victoria meanwhile was trying desperately to retain her disguise and also fight off a determined Randy Orton. Felling him with a vicious clothesline, she dropped a quick legdrop on him. Triple H had since revived to find the Undertaker smiling unpleasantly at him. Currently he was trying to gain the upper hand but to no apparent avail  
  
"I thought bygones were bygones between us" Flair said "you and me, we fought the last Nitro match, we finished it all off the way it was supposed to go, why drag all our past back into the WWE?"  
  
"Because I know you are planning something" Sting replied, slowing to a complete stop "I know that you and your little cronies are planning something with that slime Bischoff and I want to know what it is"  
  
"Oh you want in? You want in our little group? Its not gonna happen" smirked Flair regaining some of his legendary confidence  
  
"Then I guess you are gonna have to get hurt"  
  
Sting lifted the ball bat and swung it towards Flair rapidly. Flair ducked out of the way and managed to fire some punches at Sting. There were punches and kicks being thrown everywhere. Victoria had managed to use Randy's momentum against him and had thrown him a good length of the hallway. She stopped, breathing hard and watched as her comrades fought. There was a distinct serenity to the way they fought, as though it was no effort to them while Evolution had an insistent angry aggressive technique. Sting had fought Flair off and was currently delivering some hard jabs to the gut area, his bat discarded on the floor. Undertaker was methodically punching Triple H who lay slumped against a wall while Raven ducked another punch of Batista's and leapt on his back to choke him out. Suddenly Victoria lurched forward and found herself facing concrete. Randy had recovered and clubbed her hard in the back.  
  
Flair was pressed up against the wall as Sting held the retrieved bat up hard against his neck. He moved closer so he could talk unheard to his old rival  
  
"Stop your money games and stop choking the business otherwise this will not be the last time you see us only next time you will be collectively laid to waste" Flair's wide eyes bulged and he gasped for breath, his face reddening "we are not playing games with you, we are here to deal out justice, remember that Flair? That thing that I was so eager to pursue in WCW, it is still on my heart and I still have prophecies to fulfil, if I were you I would begin to undo all that has been done"  
  
Abruptly, Sting let go off the bat and released Flair who slumped to the floor. Sting thumped the floor once with his bat and walked away, picking up his coat as he did. Undertaker dropped Triple H in a hard slam before stepping over his prey and following the Warrior, as always totally in sync to his surroundings. Raven had just managed a hard Even Flow DDT onto Batista which had knocked him out when he'd made impact on the concrete and Victoria had flung Randy into the nearest wall. They both followed Undertaker down the corridor, leaving Evolution in beaten tatters and wounded pride. 


	9. Don't Trust The Girl

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, thanks for the reviews. U guys rock (special thanks to my Fallen Angel for always reviewing, means the world Manda, love ya!). Thanks also to the Female Phenom for posting this for me, ur a gem!

**DON'T TRUST THE GIRL**

Lightning crashed outside the window as the gathering walked back into the dressing room. Beulah sat hunched on the floor, her knees drawn up to her chin and her arms wrapped around her legs. Combined with the kilt and sweater she was wearing, it gave her more than a little of a look of a waiting worried school girl. She looked up as the group came in and her eyes lightened. Her impatience had manifested itself in raging angry lightning bolts outside but now that she could see the group were relatively unharmed, it all trickled away.

"How are they?" she asked, lifting her soulful eyes to the group

"Bloody, beaten, left to fume over their fate" listed Raven, dropping down to her side

"Out for revenge soon I'm sure" added Victoria, shedding her jacket and cap and tossing them onto her bag as she spoke

"Which means we have to be utterly aware of everything" Sting concluded

He turned to Undertaker who was stood perfectly still against one of the locker room walls, his eyes staring ahead. He seemed completely controlled, everything in check. Except that his eyes were on fire with something; vengeance, anger, adrenaline. He was aware of everything around him. All senses broke into his consciousness, teeming with life and feelings. Everything attached themselves to him. He could not move without being affected by the atmosphere, so in tune was he with it all. He merely had to identify it and sort it into its proper place. He looked electrified

"Desperado, what do you sense?" Sting asked quietly

"Everything" breathed Undertaker "yet there is something else present, something that has manifested itself which does not belong to this Earth, like ourselves it is made of something entirely different"

"Of the darkness?" questioned Victoria "I thought we were the only ones"

"The only ones presently" corrected Sting "new members are imbued with darkness at different times in their lives, when it is their turn to join the gathering"

"Yet this one is not of the darkness" atoned Undertaker, his eyes looking past them into what he could see and they couldn't "there is something different I cannot discern, not of the darkness as we are but of light, vengeful righteousness and of a desire to see things put right"

"For justice" said Sting

"Yes" replied Undertaker "yet I know not where he came from, who sent him or his purpose here yet his presence is strong but not in this arena, he resides with our Smackdown comrades"

"Any ideas who it could be?" asked Victoria

"There is no one I know of who could possess that strange quality Desperado has described" Raven admitted

Sting was silent, his thoughts concentrated on Desperado's words. There was a different kind of darkness present now. A friend maybe or a foe sent to thwart their plans. He wondered where the place for this new presence was. As the Dark Warrior, Sting was prophesised to walk alone on his path for justice. Yet the Walker of the Night was told to walk with him and Desperado, Hex Priestess and Shadows also felt their calling was to join him on his quest. This new power could be a curse or a gift. It all depended on how they handled it.

"We must leave this new power for a moment" announced Sting, his voice clear "tonight Shadows must join Evolution where they choose to go, Desperado focus on her and make sure she is unharmed, Priestess you shadow her, for now I believe we should leave the arena before Evolution tell Bischoff about our appearance here, we can regroup before Evolution leave for the night"

Undertaker nodded

"There is no one to stop us from leaving, I suggest we leave while we have the chance" he voiced

Sting nodded once, slinging the bat over his shoulder and walking out of the door. Raven helped Beulah to her feet and followed quickly after, followed by Victoria and Undertaker. The corridors were empty; there was almost silence as they walked back out of the unguarded doors. Soon they reached the black pick-up truck and all slid in, Victoria joining Raven and Beulah in the back seat.

"We shall return to my haunting and prepare for this evening" said Sting as he started the truck's engine "be prepared for a certain vicious backlash if we don't play this right"

The noise in the club was a low vibrating hum. This wasn't the sort of place where it was too loud to talk and you had to yell to be heard. This was quiet and seductive, allowing all kinds of conversation to take place. The décor was fancy as well, all dark midnight blues and soft pinks and the lights on the dance floor were soft gold that picked out the beauty of its occupants. Evolution had taken over a whole plush seating area for themselves. Each man was surrounded by barely-dressed women fawning over them and glasses of expensive champagne, as well as an ice bucket of the stuff, littered the tables. Victoria smiled from her strategic position at the bar. They were ripe for information.

"How are they looking?" Beulah asked from her stool beside her

"Ready for your entrance" answered Victoria, hopping down off her own stool "come on"

As the two women began walking towards the seating area, Victoria felt a pounding in her head. A vision was incoming. Quickly she dived around the nearest wall before Evolution spotted her and stood, breathing hard as she gulped in breaths to steady herself. The vision began blossoming in her mind. Beulah had followed her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Too much vodka" she said in answer the questioning glances the pair were receiving

Victoria scrunched her eyes closed tightly and concentrated on the vision slamming into her mind. It was a building made of old grey stones, there were candles lit along all the walls. A silver cross stood at the front and a white robed figure knelt before it, hands folded in prayer and lips moving inaudibly in unknown chants. The eyes chilled her. Such a peculiar colour, glimmering and glinting of something unknown. The facial expression was hidden by the hood of the robe. The figure got to its feet and spread its arms out, seeming to implore heaven for something. A voice spoke into the inkiness

"Darkness will consume the light, beckoning his return"

Then nothing

Victoria gasped, starting to shake. Beulah wrapped an arm around her shoulders to try and steady the violent shakes.

"Are you ok Priestess?" she asked quietly in Victoria's ear

"Vision.....the darkness......Desperado" Priestess blurted out, spitting the words she could form vocally.

They stood that way for a few minutes and then the shakes subsided. Cautiously, Beulah drew back from her female counterpart. Victoria's eyes were still wild but her mouth was drawn into a hard line

"What did you see?" asked Beulah

"The new kind of darkness Desperado sensed, a figure robed in white and he was chanting, there was a phrase, a prophecy of some kind" Victoria frowned "it was familiar, I think its linked to Desperado"

They stood for a few moments more. Beulah could feel a slight buzz in her head which she knew to be Desperado, monitoring them from wherever he had secreted himself. Raven and Sting themselves were hidden somewhere in the club as well. She raised her eyes heavenward. She guessed they were roosting somewhere up above, where they felt most comfortable and able to lend a fist or two if necessary. She wondered if Desperado could see Victoria's visions.

Victoria straightened out. There was a sharpness to her movements which energised Beulah and made her smile prettily

"We can figure that all out later, it's your turn" Victoria said with a purpose to her voice

She smiled, grabbed one of Beulah's hands and walked out from behind the corner to where Evolution sat. Triple H was the first to notice them and smiled widely.

"Victoria, what can we do for you?" he asked

Victoria kept a remarkably straight face despite his severe facial bruising. Undertaker had roughed him up well. She also chose to ignore the way his eyes roamed her body, seeming to appreciate her black leather pants and tiny spider-web top.

"I just wanted to congratulate you on your match tonight, you were amazing" she cooed

"Same as every night" commented Flair, a particularly curvaceous blonde snuggled to his chest

"Who's your friend?" Randy asked, eyes focused on Beulah

"Oh this is an old friend of mind, Beulah this is Evolution" Victoria indicated the seated group "and their friends"

"Beulah? That's an unusual name" Randy said intrigued

"I'm an unusual person" Beulah answered, eyes lowered shyly

She was playing the demure nervous girl to perfection. She and Victoria had decided to miss out her surname since it was so distinctive and they weren't sure how much Evolution knew about ECW. Flair had an incredible knowledge of the business and chances were he knew a lot about such an influential company. They had to be careful.

Triple H was eyeing Beulah up in the same way a hawk eyed its prey

"Alright girls pack it up" he said, shooing the girls away who surrounded him "I'll have to keep for another night"

The girls quickly scattered and flocked around Randy and Batista instead. Triple H kept his attentions firmly on Beulah. Victoria squeezed her hand a little

"Got time to spend?" Triple H asked, an arrogant smile on his face

"With you? Of course" replied Beulah, sitting herself down next to him

"I'll see you around Hunter" Victoria said before slipping into the night and emerging at the bar at a place where she could observe them from

Triple H didn't notice. His eyes were locked on Beulah and the way her slim body looked in the pale shimmering dress she wore. She smiled demurely and let him put his arm round her as he poured her a drink. All she had to do was get him to a hotel room or maybe even outside the club. No that was too risky, someone might see.

Soon she was close to his chest, laughing at the joke he was currently whispering in her ear. A quick surreptitious look around confirmed to her that the rest of Evolution had picked out their girl for the night and were looking to get back to their hotel rooms. None of them would leave though until their leader gave the word. Beulah pulled back a little from Triple H and smiled

"I think your boys are desperate for some hotel room action" she said quietly

"They're not the only ones" he murmured

"Well I'm ready if you are" she replied, a teasing smile on her face

With a smirk, Triple H signalled to the rest of Evolution that the time had come for them all to head off to their hotel rooms. En masse they exited the bar. Beulah made sure she didn't even look Victoria's way but knew the tall diva would be following them closely.

Once outside the club, a long silver stretch limo pulled up. It was summoned as though by magic. One by one, the members of Evolution got in with their dates for the evening. Last of all, Beulah followed Triple H in, finding the interior surprisingly roomy. She felt a pulse in her head, letting her know that Desperado was still keeping a sharp eye on her. She was strangely comforted, his comfortable ancient presence somewhat reassuring. Triple H slipped an arrogant arm around her which she allowed as the noise got louder and louder in the limo as the girls giggled and the champagne flowed.

It wasn't long before they reached the hotel. Beulah had managed to keep the conversation about herself to a minimum, knowing that the slightest detail could giveaway who she was. Luckily, Triple H liked to talk about himself a lot so it saved her a great deal of trouble and lying.

"See you tomorrow champ" Ric crowed as the group split ways once inside the hotel "don't exhaust yourself too much tonight"

"Likewise Ric, she might finish you off" countered Triple H, as Ric laughing headed down the hallway with his blonde in tow

Batista and Randy made their excuses and left rapidly with their dates giggling. Beulah felt her heart begin to flutter, not from nervousness but anticipation. This was her key part in the gathering's plan and she was determined not to screw it up. Hunter smiled and slotted the hotel key card in at his hotel room door. He led the way in and watched as Beulah walked in and shut the door after her. The room was as vast as she expected with a king-sized bed dominating the room.

"You're in for quite an evening" Hunter promised, walking towards her slowly seductively "I hope you're prepared to get worn out"

"Something like that"

He ran a hand down her arm and drew even closer to her. Beulah counted slowly in her head. As Hunter lowered his head to her's, she suddenly drew a knee up swiftly to his groin. As he staggered backwards in painful shock, she punched him hard in the face. His face was a curious mix of anger and pain. She knew she had to put him away before he managed to get the upper hand. Swiftly she spun around and landed a hard well-practiced kick at his head. He fell to the floor, knocked out. Quickly, she searched his pockets. She found his wallet and flipped through it hurriedly, finding only casino chips and a few credit cards. Evolution it seemed did not carry cash.

"Nothing" she muttered

She spun on her silver heel and looked around the room, hands on hips contemplatively. There had to be something in this room that helped add another piece to the puzzle. She rifled through the bedside cabinet, for something, anything. There was nothing of interest. Then she found an intriguing thickish envelope wedged between the customary hotel room Bible and a few back issues of Playboy. Quickly she pulled it free and emptied its contents onto the king-sized bed. Inside there were papers, lots of documents, typed and handwritten. She knew she didn't have too long before Hunter came round wanting answers. She began to rapidly pick through the unmarked envelope's contents. There were magazine articles from various wrestling fanzines with certain paragraphs circled, newspaper clippings and most curious of all, lists of wrestlers from both the WWE and the independent circuit. They didn't seem to be written in any particular order but simply written down in a long scrawled mess. Beulah could make out various names but some were unfamiliar to her. She knew that Sting would be able to decipher more than her and Undertaker would maybe know the hidden meanings. Maybe Victoria's vision also tied in with it somehow. Quickly she stuffed the written lists into her bra and packed everything else back into the envelope.

There was a light knock at the door. For a few terrifying seconds Beulah mentally juggled with the concept of explaining how the leader of Evolution came to be knocked out on the floor while she, a supposedly harmless girl, was perfectly alright and raiding his room. Then Raven appeared., closing the door behind him.

"How'd you get in? I have the key card" hissed Beulah, straightening up from where she was tucking the envelope back into the cabinet

"Not many doors are closed when Desperado is around" replied Raven before his eyes settled on the fallen Hunter at his feet "you hit him pretty good, did he touch you?"

"Only on the arms and legs, nothing more" reassured Beulah "I took care of him"

"Lets get him onto the bed"

Between them they heaved the former champion onto the bed, arranging him as though he'd fallen onto it in a drunken sprawl. Beulah removed his expensive suit jacket and unbuttoned his pale blue shirt. Raven placed a hand on the man's scarred forehead

"You had a good night, you don't remember a thing" he atoned in his strange enchanting voice

Beulah quickly scribbled a note on a piece of hotel stationary from the desk and stuck it on the pillow.

"You're so good at that voice" she said smiling "no wonder so many people are enchanted into working for you"

"I speak the words, they follow my spirit" Raven replied, slipping an arm around her waist "I can command them, its part of where my powers lie, the enchantment of others"

"I have a lot to tell Dark Warrior, we should go find him"

"They're waiting in the truck outside"

Together the pair slipped out, carefully locking the door after them. It was hours before Hunter woke up, well into midday. When he did, his head swirled with vague uneasy memories. He knew he'd gone back to his room with a girl but there was no one beside him and most of his clothes were still on. Then he saw the note. With aching eyes he plucked it from the pillow and read it

_Hunter_

_Thanks for a dreamy night_

_I had to go for an early start at work_

_I didn't wake you because you looked pretty tired_

_See you next time you're in town_

_B_

He couldn't for the life of him remember her name.


	10. Money Talks

_**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything._

_**Author Notes**: I know it's been a long time since I posted a chapter of this but thanks to my dear friend Hugh I've been able to watch some old Sting stuff which has reinspired me! Hope it was worth the wait:- )_

**MONEY TALKS**

"What would he want with them?"

Sting's question hung in the air around them. No one had any answers. Once Beulah and Raven had emerged from the hotel and slid into the pick-up, they'd all returned to the warehouse. The group was scattered in the large derelict part which Sting seemed to spend most of his time in.

"They all hate him," supplied Raven from where he sat up against a pillar, legs apart. "I know I did."

"But some of them loved his money right?" supplied Beulah. "He had deep pockets."

"There's something wrong here," murmured Sting, perhaps to himself. "These former employees are true stars of our business. Some of them are retired, some are badly injured. There's something entirely uneven about this list."

Silence fell on the group again and the Undertaker shifted from where he stood as part of the shadows by the door. He hadn't moved much since they'd gotten back. From the way he stared off into the distance, Sting guessed he was scanning the area for something or more appropriately, someone. Victoria couldn't seem to keep still, her knee jiggling and making her black booted foot clatter loudly on the concrete floor. The noise was unnecessary to him but it seemed to go some way in containing her energy. She'd been on edge since bundling herself into the truck outside the club, spilling the news of Beulah's destination and company. There was something else there beneath the onion layers.

"Priestess," her name came out of his mouth like a breath, certain and sure and she turned to look at him questioningly, her foot still tapping erratically. "Was there something more you wanted to share with us?"

Victoria's face took on a guilty shade and her foot finally stopped tapping. That got everyone's attention.

"I got a vision while I was in the club," she began.

"You haven't told them yet?" asked Beulah surprised.

"I forgot, I was focused on you after that," replied Victoria quickly. "I didn't want anything to go wrong so I put it to the back of my mind."

"What was the vision of?" asked Sting, cutting through her apologetic manner to get to the heart of it.

"The force that Desperado described."

At her words, Undertaker turned his head sharply to look at her. She stared back, biting her bottom lip but standing her ground.

"How can you be sure?" asked Sting carefully.

"I may not have Desperado's sixth sense but the voices tell me things I need to know," replied Victoria briskly. "It was him. He was wearing a white robe and knelt before a silver cross in a stone building. He was chanting."

"What did he say?" asked Sting.

"Darkness will consume the light, beckoning his return," replied Victoria with a tiny flicker of a glance at Undertaker. "I got the feeling it's connected to Desperado."

"Its one of my prophecies," said Undertaker, his voice even and deep. "Spoken after one of my deaths, heralding my return back to the living."

"Why would someone else use it?" asked Beulah confused.

"To show that they know about us," said Sting. "This person is made of the same darkness as we are but contains an entirely different light."

"They could help us," spoke up Raven. "If they know what we're about then why would they fight against us? It sounds like the same cause of me."

The Undertaker had stayed perfectly still, his gaze still fixed on Victoria. Sting wondered briefly how he'd feel if someone spoke one his prophecies. His had been made public through WCW's pilfering of them for his theme music but fans who still stopped him in the street hardly ever mentioned it. His prophecies were private and someone else speaking them would unnerve him greatly.

"Desperado, can you find this man?" asked Sting into the thoughtful silence which had fallen.

"Only if he allows himself to be found," replied Undertaker with barely a blink of his black-lined eyes. "He had kept himself cloaked from me so far and he may do for a long time. I have the feeling he will become apparent when we need his assistance."

"What about the list?" spoke up Beulah.

She was wearing a slate grey trenchcoat over the shimmering dress she'd seduced Triple H in. The coat seemed to swamp her figure despite being belted snugly around her waist. Her wide eyes were full of concern and worry and from her sprawled position on the dank floor beside Raven, she looked deceptively like a lost little girl.

"If we draw up what we know of these names, maybe we'll find the link," suggested Raven, pulling his notebook from his coat pocket.

Sting nodded and set his dark eyes down onto the creased paper again.

"Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Jeff Jarrett, Diamond Dallas Page," he began, the scritch-scritch of Raven's pencil mirroring his words. "They were in WWF and WCW but are now in the TNA-NWA."

"They used to be really big stars," added Victoria.

"The Rock – he's still in the WWE but is hardly ever present on-screen," continued Sting. "Jeff Hardy, Monty Brown, AJ Styles – all NWA-TNA wrestlers."

"They are all stars who are not in the WWE," spoke by Undertaker softly.

Comprehension spread itself out in Sting's mind. These people were all talented wrestlers and either had been or were huge stars in the wrestling industry. He examined the paper keenly.

"Bischoff has written numbers beside each name. I would guess they are amounts of Evolution's money going into their accounts," he said.

"He's paying them to not come into the WWE," Raven declared, his pencil silent as he gazed at what he had written. "Evolution has asked him to so that they have no competition."

Anger roared in Sting's mind but quickly it cooled. He had learned long ago to control his anger and to channel it properly into cold hard action. Slowly a smile spread over his face. Evolution must have been beside themselves when they saw Sting and Raven in the same place coming for them. It was like their perfect plan falling into pieces.

"We are destroying their plan just by our presence," Sting mused out-loud, a sliver of joy coating his words. "Now we must take it apart brick by brick."

"If we don't then Bischoff'll squeeze the life out of everything we've worked for," voiced Beulah angrily, her eyes no longer childlike. "He's preventing talent from truly being able to stretch their wings."

"We must break him," the Undertaker murmured softly.

"And Evolution must be stopped too," added Raven. "Even without Bischoff, they could do a lot more damage to our industry."

There was a pause and then Victoria gasped. She clutched a hand to her ebony hair and used the other to support herself on the wall. Everyone's focus was on her. A translucent image was thrown before her, allowing the group to see her vision. A white robed figure stood with its back to them. Grey stones formed walls either side and rows of candles provided flickering light. Then the figure turned. It was a man with white hair that reached his shoulders and from what could be see of under the robe, white pants and top as well. His eyes were pale blue, like ice.

"You have all felt my presence," his voice was soft but with an air of menace. "I am here to help you. I am not a long term ally. I walk alone but this time our enemy is the same. Eric Bischoff must be stopped. When you need Mordecai, he will appear."

As the figure turned, the image faded and Victoria shook her head a couple of times to clear it properly.

"Mordecai," the Undertaker said the name once, tasting it and his dark eyes flashed once beneath the brim of his black hat. "Bitter and bruising, the Pale Rider. He wishes to help our cause."

"If he wishes to bring his power to help us then we cannot stop him. He will be useful," replied Sting. "Although he may not follow the orders of the Dark Warrior."

"You can't discipline the Pale Rider," put in Raven. "He has his own mission here on Earth. He deals out justice, heavenly justice. If he wants to help us, we don't have a choice."

Sting nodded. They'd all heard of the Pale Rider. He was another being made of darkness but cloaked in sparkling white. He was a herald for goodness with an unmatched strength of magic. But the Pale Rider chose his causes carefully and when he fixed his sights on something, nothing stood in his way. Sting wondered if Mordecai would let his anger get out of hand. He was known for blowing many things out of proportion and destroying a lot more than was needed.

"We can deal with Mordecai when and if he arrives to help us," Sting decided out-loud, effectively drawing a line under their discussion. "We need to focus on Bischoff and Evolution."

"Bischoff is easily intimidated if you press the right buttons," spoke up Victoria, leaning heavily against the wall with her arms crossed. "He's easily eliminated."

"Its Evolution we have to worry about," picked up Beulah. "They're the ones giving Bischoff the money and the power he needs. Without them, he's easy pickings."

"So we need to eliminate Evolution," summarised Sting thoughtfully. "They will be a hard faction to break."

"Not if you pick the right place," spoke up Undertaker, taking a first step forward. "Triple H and Ric Flair would be the hardest to try and pry apart – they know they need each other to remain unbeatable. They only keep Orton and Batista in the faction to stop them from fighting against them."

"So we need to tear off Orton and Batista," summised Raven, cracking his knuckles loudly but no one flinched. "Will they be easy to dispose of?"

"Batista's an animal," put in Victoria. "But he's smart; he knows what he's doing. We'd have to make a very good offer to him to persuade him to leave Evolution."

"Randy Orton was born into wrestling knowledge," spoke up Undertaker. "He has soaked it up since the day he was birthed. He breathes the business and knows all its twists. He knows it's wise and safe to stay within Evolution and wait for the old guard to die out. He knows it may take years but he is patient for a young man."

Sting let these thoughts wash into his mind, mental images of the two men forming themselves. They had to be taken from Evolution. But the question was how?

"Are there any weaknesses we can exploit?" he asked.

"Randy loves women," said Beulah. "But then all of Evolution does."

"But he does love one more than others," Victoria's voice took on a tone of excitement. "He's had his eye on Stacy Keibler for a long time now. I bet she could persuade him to leave Evolution."

"Involving mortals in affairs of darkness is not an option," Sting cut in firmly. "They cannot stand the powers we weld, she could be destroyed."

"Stacy's a sweet girl. She might not have the powers that we possess but if we told her about Evolution's plans, shed be willing to do all she could to help us," insisted Victoria. "I know she's made of pure sunlight but sometimes, it takes that to seduce the darkness."

Sting stared at Victoria for a long moment. Her words filtered into her mind as the others waited patiently for his decision. He, as the Dark Warrior, had the final word on any matter as serious as this.

"We will allow her one chance," he said at last. "I know the treacheries of the women wrestling produces; they look for opportunities and suck money out for as long as she can. She may double cross us all."

"You speak from experience, Dark Warrior," Desperado stated.

"You know I do. Priestess, if you think we can trust this girl then tell her about Evolution's machinations but leave the Gathering out. If we can pry Orton out of their clutches then we will have a chance."

Victoria checked her wrist watch and shook her head.

"I doubt Stacy'll still be awake, I can catch up with her tomorrow before the show. I could even ride with her," Victoria offered.

"And meanwhile we'll settle our sights on the rest of Evolution," Sting continued, a smile flickering across his lips. "They've become unnerved and we can peel them apart."

"Sounds like a charm," a smile spread throughout Raven's words as he pocketed his book and pencil. "I miss the Gathering when it's not around."

"This is our art," voiced Undertaker. "No one else can produce what we do when we are one."

Sting smiled and nodded. High above him, he heard the vulture settling down for the night. The Gathering would sleep here in the warehouse, there was plenty of room after all and as much as he was called to be alone, it was a good thing to be surrounded by people who knew him so well that he didn't have to explain himself.


End file.
